Written Evidence Submitted by NUSTEM, Northumbria University

(DIV0045)

About NUSTEM:

NUSTEM is a research and outreach group based in the Faculty of Engineering and Environment at Northumbria University, Newcastle. Northumbria University is a research-rich, business-focussed, professional university with a global reputation for academic excellence.

Established in 2014, NUSTEM’s vision is for a vibrant and sustainable STEM sector which meets the needs of learners and employers, reflecting the diversity of wider society. We work in partnership with over 40 primary and secondary schools serving areas of deprivation the North East of England, and with other organisations and companies that share our vision. Since 2014 we have worked with over 100 different organisations and led 25 funded STEM Engagement projects. 

Our response to this call for evidence is based on our research and collaboration with these schools and organisations.

The importance of careers-related learning in primary school to address under-representation

There is a tendency to assume that young people’s career choices start to be made when they are in secondary school.  However, NUSTEM’s research has shown that children have made potentially career-limiting decisions before the age of 8[1].  In a study of over 300 primary school children in the North East of England, there was a significantly gendered choice in children’s expressed interest when they were presented with a range of careers and asked to identify which ones they would like to do in future.  Where children expressed an interest in STEM careers, boys were more likely to choose those in physical sciences, technology or engineering fields, and girls more likely to choose those in biological or healthcare fields.

Further research showed that this gendered choice was still present when children were given the opportunity to suggest their own preferred future jobs[2] rather than choose from a limited range. Furthermore, the careers choices identified by the children were drawn from a relatively narrow pool, with 20 different career aspirations accounting for over 75% of the suggested jobs (Figure 1 from Padwick et al, 2020). 

This research countered the narrative of low aspirations in under-represented groups with many of the children’s identified careers falling into the top three categories in the Standard Occupational Classification (i.e. Managers and Senior officials; Professional Occupations; Associate Professional and Technical Occupations).

These findings do, however, identify that children are unaware of a broad range of careers when they are young, and that this could limit the careers that they consider, including those in STEM fields. 

NUSTEM’s work and research focusses on schools serving areas of deprivation in the North East of England.  As identified in the committee call for evidence, people from low socio-economic status backgrounds are under-represented in STEM careers.  We have been working with primary schools to develop evidence-based interventions to broaden young children’s career understanding, so that they have more knowledge of the possible range of careers that are available to them.

NUSTEM has developed a Theory of Change[3] which identifies attitudinal and behavioural changes required to increase the number and diversity of young people choosing STEM careers.  This identifies the need to go beyond the individual child and consider their key influencers: their teachers, and their families.

There has been strong support for the development of careers-related learning in secondary schools in England through the use of the Gatsby Career Benchmarks in statutory guidance[4]. This has led to a more prominent focus on careers education in the curriculum[5], and a correlation between the improvement in education or employment destinations for young people with their schools’ engagement with the benchmarks[6]. This focus has improved the awareness of careers related learning amongst subject specialists[7].

However, careers-related learning in primary schools has not been as well supported, and primary teachers may feel ill-placed to discuss available STEM careers with their pupils. This is, in part, because many primary school teachers do not have a STEM background[8], and may not have an understanding of different routes and careers in STEM, or why careers-related learning is important for their pupils.  For example, the ITT Core content Framework[9] refers to careers advisors and specialist colleagues, but does not mention how classroom teachers can provide support for pupils relating to careers.

The recent report from the Lords Youth Unemployment committee recommended that careers-related learning should be a compulsory element of the curriculum from key stage 1[10]. Between 2019 and 2021 the North East LEP (NELEP) ran a pilot programme (North East Ambition Career Benchmarks: Primary Pilot) with 70 schools in the North East to support the development of a primary-focussed set of benchmarks[11]. These benchmarks were adapted from the Gatsby benchmarks and were successfully used in the schools to improve careers-related learning[12].  The pilot has now been extended to more schools in the North East[13]. 

Alongside this pilot, in 2019/20 NUSTEM and the NELEP were funded by the Careers and Enterprise Company to develop a professional development resource for trainee primary teachers (CITE project) which introduced them to careers-related learning and provided opportunities for them to implement simple ideas into the classroom and reflect on them[14]. As a result of the move to online delivery models during the pandemic and following feedback from teachers involved in the CITE project, the resource has been further developed for current teachers to provide whole-school support for careers-related learning.

As well as supporting teachers to strengthen careers-related learning in their classrooms, NUSTEM has also developed interventions for families. Parents and the wider family are seen as key influencers in the development of children’s understanding of identification with science and science careers[15]. The NUSTEM interventions aim to increase conversations about science and technology between primary-aged children and their carers, and to increase the confidence of families so that they begin to see science and science careers as something that is ‘for people like me’. These interventions provide hands-on and engaging activities in a broader context, from storytime activities for Early Years families (e.g. Family Space Explorers[16]; Me, You and Science, Too[17]) to problem solving workshops for older children (e.g. Engineering for Families[18]). 

Stereotypes of scientists and engineers

Another factor in the under-representation of particular groups in STEM is the stereotypical understanding and representation of people who work in STEM fields.  When asked to draw a scientist, children often draw very stereotypical figures[19], and although depictions of scientists have become more gender diverse over time, older children still tend to draw men[20]. Research into ‘science capital’ suggests that young people enjoy science, but don’t want to enter a career in science and part of this is because they don’t see ‘people like me’ as scientists or working in STEM[21],[22]. NUSTEM has carried out research into the malleability of children’s stereotyped perceptions of people working in STEM through their ‘STEM Person of the Week resource’. The research found that it was possible to broaden the way children describe people working in STEM through a five-week teacher led intervention which focussed on the personal attributes of a diverse range of STEM role models. The effect was apparent at least 1 year after the intervention[23].  This suggests a promising approach for addressing stereotypes within the classroom.  However, they will also need to be addressed within the broader ecosystem within which children are situated. Their families, media, peers etc. will potentially also hold or portray stereotypical views of STEM which could reinforce the image that STEM is not for people from under-represented groups.

What has been done to address underrepresentation of particular groups in STEM roles

Many organisations and companies have attempted to use STEM engagement activities to increase the ‘pool’ of potential employees and address under-representation of particular groups.

One promising example of a sector working together to improve STEM Engagement practice and collaboration between organisations is the Tomorrow’s Engineers Code[24] managed by EngineeringUK.  Code signatories commit to four pledges related to funding, designing delivering and learning from engineering-focussed interventions.  To further support the code, NUSTEM has developed an evidence-based, practical guide about different ways to implement the pledges[25].

Another interesting approach is that of the Institute of Physics ‘Limit Less’ campaign which is aimed at changing the stereotypes and perceptions of physics amongst key influencers of young people[26]. This goes beyond teachers and families. For example, the IOP is addressing how physics is represented in traditional[27] and social media[28].

Other approaches make use of role models or ambassadors, with the STEM Ambassadors network being one of the oldest such networks.  This, and similar networks, have the potential to improve practice and drive collaboration.  However, the evidence base of the impact of the network, or particular activities used by ambassadors, is not as strong as would be desired from a long-running programme, and it would be helpful to gather clearer evidence of impact– positive or negative.

What could and should be done by the UK Government, UK Research and Innovation, other funding bodies, industry and academia to address the issues identified.

UK Government

The UK Government should introduce careers-related learning into primary schools (in England).  The NELEP primary benchmark pilot provides a clear indication that the success of the Gatsby benchmarks in secondary will also work (with small adaptation) in primary schools. This would also require funding to develop the roles of careers leaders, potentially using the hub model used for the roll out of the secondary benchmarks.

Support primary teachers to address stereotypes within the school through appropriate training and CPD such as the CITE training developed by NUSTEM and the NELEP.

Develop a stronger evidence base around impactful interventions in STEM engagement e.g. for the use of role models in STEM engagement activities to ensure that programmes such as STEM Ambassadors are having a positive effect.  Gathering this evidence base will require collaboration between STEM experts and social and psychological researchers. Under-representation in STEM is a wicked problem, which will require a multi-disciplinary approach to address.

UKRI, funding bodies, industry and academia

These groups should develop a stronger and more collaborative approach to STEM engagement activities (potentially using the Tomorrow’s Engineers Code as a model).  This should consider the quality and nature of interventions, and broaden the audiences to support families, teachers and other key influencers (as is being done through the IOP Limit Less campaign). 

Organisations should recognise the need to invest in long-term solutions, not one-off or short-term interventions with no evidence of impact[29]. Children’s aspirations begin forming from a very early age and so work is needed over the long-term to support their identification as someone who could work in STEM.

The NUSTEM Theory of Change looks at the under-representation holistically and is transferable to other stakeholders within the STEM sector.  Key recommendations from the Theory of Change are: start working with families and children from a young age; use attributes of people working in STEM to help children to see what they have in common with them; show parents and carers the different routes into STEM careers; support teachers to include careers in their subject lessons; showcase local opportunities; ensure that company culture is inclusive of staff from different backgrounds; and, make STEM sectors good places to work. Widespread implementation of these recommendations will those from under-represented groups to access careers in STEM.